These Beaufort artists wanted to show support for Ukraine. Their idea went viral
Greg Rawls, who makes art out of glass, was just going to make a pendent featuring the Ukrainian flag for himself to show his support for the country’s people who are battling invading forces from Russia.
Then he got to thinking, maybe they could be sold to raise a few bucks for the city of Beaufort’s campaign to help the Ukrainian city of Ostroh, which it has informally adopted.
Rawls took the idea to Eric and Mary Thibault, who own Thibault Gallery on Bay Street, where Rawls is a featured artist. Their response, Rawls said, was “’Yeah!’”
Now the trio can hardly keep up with demand.
“It’s sort of gone viral,” Rawls said.
Since the meeting of the minds, Rawls and the Thibaults have churned out more than 500 pendents and pins.
Earlier this week, they presented a check of $10,850 to Mayor Stephen Murray to add to the $25,000 residents had already contributed for the city fundraising effort. Murray says more than $35,000 will go directly to efforts by the city of Ostroh to house and feed some 1,100 refugees that have shown up there since the war began and to send supplies to the front lines.
The kiln-formed glass pins feature the colors blue and yellow resembling the Ukrainian flag.
Pins cost $20, and pendents are $30. They can be ordered online with 100% of the proceeds benefiting Ostroh. Orders may be shipped or picked up at the gallery located at 815 Bay St.
Orders have come in from 40 states, said Mary Thibault, who thinks she knows why sales took off.
“So many people,” Mary Thibault said, “are wanting to do something because they feel helpless this war is going on.”
Rawls does the glass cutting and then turns the flag pins over to the Thibaults, who apply the pins on the back.
“We’ve have a system going now,” Eric Thibault said.
This story was originally published March 31, 2022 at 8:33 AM.
